Life Lessons

Coming back after a brief stint of self-exile from the blogging world (not that my absence was missed much, but such is the illusion of renown and reputation that many bloggers cloak themselves in) was not easy nor was it hard. It simply happened. Why? Because I was up all night drinking and practicing my salsa (not recommendable when under the influence) and then ascended to the terrace at dawn keeping in my company the good music from my laptop and the vodka, scotch, and beer in my veins. What more reason could we possibly need?

But to salvage one of the articles on my previous blog, here are a few insights gained during what was arguably the toughest time of my life (well I don't know if it really was but hey that statement must've caught your attention at least, no?)

1. Insecurity stems from doubt and worry. These will be your greatest foes because these are the adversaries that will always stay haunt with you, no matter where you are, what you do, or who you choose to spend your time with. Work hard to wear them down, and even though you may never really defeat them, you do get credit for trying. The race is long, but in the end, it’s only with yourself.

2. We are all human. We are always going to be prone to errors, mistakes, false guesses. Practice does not make perfect. Learning from your mistakes does. There are no right decisions, or wrong ones for that matter. There are only choices. There are some choices you may regret for an hour or a day, others you may regret for a week, a month, a year. But no one can live to their potential if they cannot learn to live with their own mistakes. Forgiveness is Godliness. But it is the Forgiveness of the self that is truly divine.

3. The brightest people aren’t always the ones who get the best scores in two hour tests, the best people aren’t always the ones who walk away with the prom queen, though these things do happen. Never judge people by the make of their car or their epitaph. You may have left behind a large sum of money for scholarships or prizes to bright minds that make the world a better place, but that will not change the fact of what you did and who you really were, and the people that have to know these facts, will.

4. If only once in your life, follow up on an impulse and catch the next day flight to a city halfway across the country to meet that girl/guy of your dreams, even if you know that it won’t work out. Life isn’t a fairy tale or a teenage film, but it doesn’t make it any worse to try to make it like one. Always believe in love and cherish whatever memories you associate it with. For it’s the ones who truly believe in something that everyone else says cannot happen that change what everyone else believes in. It doesn’t matter if the race doesn’t change, what matters is that the race doesn’t change us.

5. Lastly… Dream. Let loose your imagination, your hopes, your visions, curb them only with your beliefs. It doesn’t matter if people don’t agree with you. What matters is that they are allowed not to. If everyone dreamed the same dreams then there would be no point in living. And even if dreams may not take root and perish, you will know that for a brief while, you saw a painting on a blank piece of canvas when no one else could, and that it was beautiful. Take your time, think a lot, think of everything you’ve got for you will still be here tomorrow but your dreams may not.

P.S. - Bond I fully remember the gyaan about the effectiveness of using three points rather than two or five and blah... I like 5 points while writing. Gives more room for error.